Two-wheeled vehicle



(No Model.)

WHITMQRE.

TWO WHEELED VEHICLE.

lamtedPeb.20,1883.

n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOGH I'VHITMORE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,81/5, dated February 20,1883.

Application tiled July 17, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, ENocHWH1TMonE,re siding in the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Two -Wheeled Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, Aand exact description of the same, reference being hatl to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the bed and running-gear of twowheel vehicles, by means ot' which I am enabled, iirst, to give ready and convenient ac cess to the vehicle without climbing over the wheels or entering at the front, between the wheel and the box or shafts; secondly, to remove the disagreeable jogging or shaking motion common to such class of vehicles where the body or box is supported in horizontal position from the shafts alone.

rIhe following description fully explains the nature of my invention and the manner in which I proceed to construct, apply, and use it, the drawings being referred to by letters and tigures.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a perspective view ot' the axle and frame constituting the support and running-gear. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the fratrie and body. Fig. 3 isa plan or top View with the body removed.

A is the axle, having the usual spindles for tite wheel-hubs. B B are two short bars fixed upon the axle by clips b b, and running fore and aft and parallel with each other. These bars receive and support the ends of the bodysprings D D, which are placed transversely across the space, one in front ofand the otherat the rear end ofthe axle, so that they are held in position upon the ends of the bars parallel with the axle.

Midway between the ends ofthe springs, or at a point where the center of the bed or body will come when placed over the springs, I [ix a table, E, upon which the under side of the platform or box is directly received and supported.

In the construction given in Fig. l of the drawings I have attached the ends of the front spring \beneath the ends of the bars, while connection of the ends of the rear spring is made upon the top of the hars. The ei'ect of `this is to bring the highest part or centers of the two springs out of horizontal line, and to render it necessary to support the front end of the table E by a short post or standard,g; but if both springs are connected to the bars B B in the same manner the table and springs can be secured together without such standard. This table a'ords a bearing, h, for a short upright bolt or' shaft, H, carrying a pinion, I, fixed on its end beneath the table, and having its upper end let into and secured tothe oor or bottom of the vehicle-body.

A segment-rack, K, pivoted at m to the under side of the table, engages with the pinion I in such manner that rotation of the shaft is el'ected at any time by moving the rack K about its center of motion, and the vehiclebody being therefore secured to the end of the pinion-shaft, movement of the bed to one side or the other upon this central point results from such action of the raclrupon the pinion. To work this rack, a bar, n, iixed to the rear end of the table, is carried toone side beneath the body and beyond its side to give support for a lever, N. At this point the lever N is fulcrumed, and is held perpendicularly in position to bring its longer end or handle upward in convenient position alongside of tite body, Where it can be readily grasped by a person seated in the vehicle. Its shorter end is connected to the outer end of a rod or bar, R, that runs to the center ot' the table, and is txed to the rear or pivot end of the rack. By throwing this handle to one side or the other, rotary movement of the raclr is produced from the drivers seat, and the vehicle-body is caused to swing or turn upon the table to one side or the other; also, by bringing the lever to the vertical, the body is caused to assume its normal or longitudinal position. The bodyot' the vehicle is therefore cramped or turned to one side at such operation, and aii'ords am ple room for a person to enter or alight from the vehicle at either side from behind the axle.

A suitable locking` device can be provided on the side of the body to hold the lever in xed position.

The table E has several rollers, s s, let into its top to bear the weight of the bed above and reduce friction, a ring or plate, u, being fixed to the bottom of the bed to take the Wear of the rollers.

IOOv

The shafts T are secured at the inner ends to astiff frame formed of sidebars,V V, which extend along from front to rear, justinsidethe wheels and parallel with thesides ot' the bed, and are connected to the bars B on the axle by means of curved braces t t, that spring,` from the front and rear ends of the bars B, and extend upward and outward. A cross bar, W, and a. curved brace, X, connect these side bars together at the from, and complete this frame for the shafts; but the rear of the frame is open.

1t will be noticed in the above construction that the shafts have no direct connection with the body, and thatthe springs run transversely across beneath it and parallel with the axles, the effect of which is to overcome the disagreeable rocking orjogging motion of the bed and render the riding easy and comfortable. This construction at'ords a. more convenient and safer access to two-wheel vehicles, as it permits entrance and exit without passingover the Wheels or crowding in between the animal and the wheel at the front. Ample room is afforded to enter or pass ont from the body at the rear, and it can be turned into an oblique position and back again upon its supporting table by a simple movement ofthe hand-lever.

To insure a steady action ofthe segment, as Well as to relieve the bolt H ot' lateral strain, 1 carry vont from the end, Where the connecting-rod is attached. and in a rearward direction under the bed, a strap, Y, the end of which is hooked or bent, to take over a circleiron, Z, iixed to the back of the body. The radius of this circle is equal to the length of the strap, and by the hooked end it is held down While it moves from side to side over the curve.

Having` thus fully explained my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y 1. A two-wheel vehicle having its bed or body mounted on a central pivot, whereby it is adapted to be cramped to afford entrance at the side between the Wheel and body.

2. The combination, in a two-Wheel vehicle, of a body pivoted .to the frame of the runninggear, so as to be capable of turningindependently thereof, and mechanism, substantially as described, for turning the body to one side or the other and back again, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a two-Wheel vehicle, the combination o the transverse springs, the table fixed thereon, the bolt or shaft having bearings on the table, and xed at its upper end to the receptacle bed or body, and means, substantially as herein described7 for rotating said shaft to turn the vehicle body upon its table, for the purpose set forth.

4e. In a two-wheel vehicle, the body-supporting gear, consisting of the axle, the bars B, the transverse spri ugs D, supported by the said bars, and the table to receive and hold the bed or body.

5. ln a two-wheel vehicle, the combination ot' the boilvcarrying frame B B D D and the 'shaft-carrying,` frame. B V t, secured to the axle, but independent in its connection with and det ched trom the body or bed, substantially as described.

6. '.[he combination, with the bed or body, of the table having` roller-bearings, the bolt H, mounted and capable of rotating in bearings through the table, the pinion iixed on the bolt H, the segment-rack K,and the hand-lever and connection N R, applied to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

fitness my hand and seal.

ENOUH WHITMORE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. OsBoRN, Gmo. VINCENT.

iL- Si 

